> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getnovaplan.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Briefs

> Executive-ready variance stories, generated from your real numbers.

A brief turns a comparison into a written, board-ready document: hero KPIs, a waterfall that decomposes the variance into named drivers, drill-down tables, an on-track signal, and recommendations. Every claim is backed by figures you can drill into.

## Types

| Brief              | What it explains                                                                                                |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Headcount variance | Why headcount cost is over or under, broken into rate, FTE, volume, fringe, mix, and FX, with fully loaded cost |
| Revenue / topline  | ARR and revenue movement against plan                                                                           |
| GL / full variance | The whole P\&L story in one document                                                                            |

## What You Get

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="A responsive web brief" icon="browser">
    Hero KPIs, a variance waterfall, drill tables, an on-track signal, and recommendations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="A reconciliation workbook" icon="file-excel">
    A multi-sheet Excel file with the line-by-line detail behind every number.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Generating One

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick the comparison">
    Choose the two versions and the scope: a department, a parent department, an entity, or the whole company.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate">
    Novaplan writes the narrative and builds the visuals from your real numbers. Every claim is backed by figures you can drill into.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share">
    Send the web brief or hand off the workbook. Both are branded and ready for an audience.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Are the numbers in a brief defensible?">
    Yes. Every figure traces to your real data, and the reconciliation workbook carries the line-by-line detail, so a reviewer can tie any headline back to its source.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does the on-track signal mean?">
    It is a summary read of whether the scope is tracking to plan, derived from the variance, so the reader gets the verdict before the detail.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What do the headcount drivers (rate, FTE, volume, fringe, mix, FX) mean?">
    They split a cost variance into its causes: rate is cost per person, FTE and volume are how many people, fringe is loaded-cost surcharges, mix is the blend shifting, and FX is currency. See the [Variance Guide](/reporting/variance-guide) for how to read them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where do I start a brief from?">
    From a comparison. Build the story in [Comparison Center](/reporting/comparison-center), then generate the brief from it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## If the Numbers Look Off

* If a driver bucket looks like it is absorbing too much, the variance may be concentrated in a dimension the brief did not name; drill the workbook to find it.
* If a headline claims open positions, confirm it is counting truly net-new unfilled roles rather than gross additions.

<Tip>
  Read a brief's waterfall with the [Variance Guide](/reporting/variance-guide), and start from a [Comparison Center](/reporting/comparison-center) view to control the scope.
</Tip>